perfect kaju katli (cashew fudge)

Kaju katliRecipe with step by step photos – These kaju katli are the way they are actually meant to be – Thin, smooth, melt in the mouth slices of cashew goodness. Ideally kaju katli should be thin and not thick like a barfi. The word ‘katli’ means ‘thin slices’.

Kaju katli (cashew fudge) is a most sought after Indian sweet at home. whenever we get a big box of kaju barfi at home, they just get over in a couple of days.

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If you stay in north India then during Diwali festival you might receive a box of kaju katli or dry fruits as a gift. It is one of the most popular sweets which is gifted to relatives and friends during the Diwali festival in north India.

I will not say making kaju katli at home is easy. honestly speaking it is not. If you are making for the first time, then just forgive yourself if the kaju katli does not come out well. I tried different methods of making kaju katli at home. All the recipes & methods of making kaju barfi were disasters. Twice I ended up making something else from the kaju barfi mixture… And once I had to throw away the whole kaju barfi mixture… Something which I hate doing. I could not save the cashew fudge in any way 🙁

From these disasters I learnt a few things that contribute to get a perfect kaju katli – the consistency of the powdered cashews, the consistency of the sugar syrup and cashew dough and why kneading the cashew dough is important. Learning from my trials, I was able to develop this Fool proof recipe of kaju katli.

This step by a step post is a sincere attempt to share the Method to get the perfect kaju katli at home. since I actually struggled with this Indian sweet many times while making the other Indian sweets were a cake walk. i have mentioned the tips and pointers in the step by step recipe details.

I have also added fresh organic rose from my balcony garden in the kaju katli. This is totally optional and you can just skip it. If you prefer you can even add rose water or saffron. Otherwise there are no flavorings added in the kaju katli. Its just cashews and sugar. Varak or silver foil is also placed on the kaju burfi. since I don’t use varak, I have skipped it completely.

How to make kaju katli

Grinding cashews

1: take 1 cup cashews/kaju in a dry grinder or coffee grinder. I usually keep cashews at room temperature. Hence the cashews are dry. Avoid using refrigerated cashews.

2. Grind the kaju to a smooth powder. Make sure you don’t over do the grinding process as oil should not release from the cashews. I ran the mixer at a stretch first and then scraped the sides and ran again at intervals for a couple of times.

The cashews should be in powder form and not become pasty. If there are tiny pieces in the cashew powder, then just let it be….. Or you can also sieve the cashew powder and keep aside. Use a medium fine sieve and not a fine one to sieve the powdered cashews.

Making kaju katli dough

3: take ½ cup sugar (or as required) and 5 tbsp water in a thick bottomed pan (or kadai or a non-stick pan).

4: keep on low flame and let the sugar dissolve in the water. There is no consistency in the sugar syrup like one string or two string. Just let the sugar dissolve in the water and then proceed with the next step.

5: when the sugar completely dissolves in the water, add the cashew powder.

6: stir and keep on stirring and stirring on a low flame. If there are lumps then break the lumps as you stir and continue to stir.

7: the mixture would start thickening and almost come together. When it starts coming together in one form and starts looking like a very very soft dough… Its time to remove the whole lump of the mixture from the pan and place it on a work surface. This process of getting the kaju katli dough took me exact 8 minutes on a low flame.

Depending on your temperature, pan etc you can use a time span of 7 to 9 minutes after adding the cashew powder. another way of checking is taking a small piece of the dough and form into a ball. The ball should not stick to your fingers and be smooth. Don’t even bother to scrape the edges. They are chewy.

Making kaju katli

8: put the entire cashew dough on the work surface. Add 1 tsp rose petals (or rose water or 8-9 strands of saffron) and 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil. Addition of rose petals and ghee are optional.

The dough would be very hot… So when the heat is enough to handle begin to knead the dough.

9: Knead the dough lightly. don’t over do as this will release oil from the cashews. The grainy texture in the dough goes away as you knead it. Remember the dough should be hot while kneading. You can also apply some oil or ghee on your palms instead of adding ghee/oil separately. In case the dough is soft, then add a teaspoon of some milk powder. If the dough looks dry or dense, add a teaspoon of milk to soften it.

10: flatten the dough and place it on a greased plate or tray. You can also place it on a large butter paper. The cashew dough should still be hot or warm when you start rolling it. As it cools it will harden more and becomes difficult to roll.

11: gently roll with a rolling pin to make it slightly even. There will be fine cracks on the dough.

12: to smoothen the cracks, place butter paper on top and roll more. This will smoothen the cracks and the kaju katli will have a smooth appearance. The cashew dough can also be rolled between two butter papers.

13: roll to get a thickness of about 3 to 5 mm. Let the rolled cashew dough cool.

14: once cooled completely, cut the cashew dough into squares or diamond shapes. Scrape off the uneven edges and you can have them 🙂

15: using a butter knife gently remove the kaju katli pieces from the bottom, taking care that they do not break.

16: remove and arrange them on a plate. Serve kaju katli immediately or store them in air tight container.

Let me tell you, kaju katli will get over very soon 🙂 you can make kaju barfi for any festive occasion. Another variation of this recipe which you should try after mastering this recipe is kaju anjeer rolls (cashew fig rolls). They are also equally popular as kaju barfi. For more delicious sweets recipes you can check this collection of 121 Diwali sweets.

Instructions

grinding cashews

making kaju katli mixture

On a low flame heat sugar and water in a thick bottomed or non stick pan or kadai.

Meanwhile grease a plate or a tray and keep aside or keep butter papers ready.

When all the sugar dissolved in the water, add the cashew powder. There is no consistency in the sugar syrup required like one string or two string. Just let the sugar dissolve in the water and then proceed with the next step.

making kaju katli

Remove the whole lump of the kaju mixture from the pan and place it on work surface, bowl or plate.

Add the rose petals and ghee or oil to the cashew mixture.

When the heat in the mixture is hot enough to handle, then knead the cashew mixture.

Flatten the dough and place it on a butter paper or on a greased plate/thali or tray.

Place a butter paper on top and then using a rolling pin, roll gently the dough from all sides till you reach a thickness of 3-5 mm in the dough.

Remove the butter paper and let the rolled dough cool.

When completely cooled, using a sharp knife cut the cashew dough giving square or diamond shapes.

Gently remove the kaju katli with a butter knife.

Serve the kaju katli straight away or keep in an air tight container.

Notes

If using saffron, then roast them first in a dry pan and then coarsely powder them in a mortar-pestle. Add the powdered saffron in the cashew dough.

If using rose water, then add it to the sugar and water solution.

Nutrition Info (approximate values)

Nutrition Facts

Kaju Katli

Amount Per Serving

Calories 86Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 2mg1%

Sodium 1mg0%

Potassium 60mg2%

Carbohydrates 9g3%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 30IU1%

Calcium 3mg0%

Iron 0.6mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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namaste and welcome to vegrecipesofindia.com which i started in feb 2009 and is a pure vegetarian blog. i have been passionate about cooking from childhood and began to cook from the age of 10. later having enrolled in a home science degree greatly enhanced my cooking & baking skills and took it to a different level which i now share as foolproof recipes. i was formally trained both in mainstream indian as well as international cuisines.

What do you do if the kaju katli turns out too soft? what must have gone wrong? Is thereany way to rectify it?

Thanks!

dassana amit

Oct 28, 2016

yes you can. heat a pan. keep the flame to a low. then place the whole mixture back into the pan. with continous stirring cook the mixture till it leaves the sides of the pan and is like one mass. then spread it in a greased plate and let it cool.

the softness happens when the sugar syrup has not cooked to the right consistency.

Harika

Oct 28, 2016

Hii please anyone can help me my kaju katli paste became dry it looks like a blended powder what should i do now

dassana amit

Oct 28, 2016

add some water and continue to cook till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. hope this helps.

Sandhiya

Oct 26, 2016

Hi , Going to try this for Diwali. If I am making double the quantity lets says 2 cups does that mean I need to add 10 tablespoon water?

dassana amit

Oct 26, 2016

yes. increase everything proportionally.

Sanjay B

Oct 02, 2016

Pl advice why kneading is necessary. Why cannot dough be put on greased tray directly for carving barfis after cooling? Thanks for a short recipe

dassana amit

Oct 03, 2016

kneading helps in binding the dough and also makes it even and smooth. if you place the mixture directly, the barfi won’t be even and smooth. it will have a slight grainy texture.

Menka

Sep 21, 2016

Thanks for posting the recipe as this is the perfect one and comes out in good way if instructions are used properly.my daughter almost wants this kaju katli everyday.

Neha Gupta

Sep 21, 2016

Hi Thanks for being a great guide. I always cook just by seeing at your recipes and i most of the times got succeeded… Keep on sharing such recipes they are literally very helpful and i am honestly speaking i just trust you.✌?️

Sowmya

Sep 14, 2016

First attempt at making kaju katli ! Turned out amazing ! Thanks to you !

NITHYA MAHARABOOSHANAM

Aug 30, 2016

I have store bought dry roasted cashews. They are not salted. Can i use them? Thank you.

dassana amit

Aug 30, 2016

yes you can use them.

Khaitan

Aug 13, 2016

Can we use jaggery powder instead of sugar?

dassana amit

Aug 14, 2016

you need to give a try. but will work as we also use jaggery to make indian sweets and ladoos.

Abcedfgh

Nov 28, 2016

Did anyone try preparing it with jaggery instead of sugar? Please let me know how was it?

dassana amit

Nov 28, 2016

i don’t think anyone has prepare with jaggery.

sonal

Aug 06, 2016

Awesome !! Couldn’t believe, came out so so good !!

Sweets91.com

Jul 30, 2016

Nice recipe will surely give it a try

dassana amit

Jul 31, 2016

surely try and let us know how it was? thank you.

Saima

Jul 23, 2016

Hi, is there anyway I can lower the amount of sugar? I put 5 tbsp of sugar and my kaju katli was a little too soft and sticky. I think your recipe is right but I did not cook it right. My friend is diabetic and cannot eat a lot of sugar so I wanted to make her a dessert without too much.

dassana amit

Jul 23, 2016

5 tbsp sugar is too less and thats why the kaku katli was soft and sticky. what i can suggest is that instead of adding sugar you add dates or figs which have been ground. dates you need not soak if they are soft, but dried figs if not soft need to be soaked for a few hours in water. what you do is slightly roast the cashews. don’t brown. keep aside. then add the dates or figs or cashews and powder. or you can powder the cashews first. remove and then add the dates or figs and grind them. remove in a bowl. add the cashew power and mix well. make a ball. on a greased plate or tray on between two butter paper sheets, roll the ball. then slice and store.

Sam

Jul 20, 2016

hi, how long will the kaju katli stay good if it’s not in the fridge? if i refrigerate it, how long will it stay good? i want to mail some to my grandparents but it would take 3 days and i don’t know if i want to spend money on refrigeration.

dassana amit

Jul 20, 2016

outside the fridge, they will stay good for about a week to 10 days. even more. it all depends on the climate and temperature in your city.

Dr. Anjana varun

May 27, 2016

Hey amit dasanna, I am a big fan of your blog. The way you explain each step makes cooking look easy. I made kaju katli 3 weeks back n it got over in 2 days ?. My 4 year old daughter is demanding that I prepare again she just loved it n I was lucky to have nailed it at one go. Thanks to your tips? keep up with this great work n bring more smiles in everyone’s household ? thanks again

Dr. Anjana varun

May 27, 2016

Hey guess what nailed it the second time too. Now enjoying home made katlis?

aishyam

Apr 06, 2016

hi dasana ji.I tried your recipe by in a little bit different way. I made sugar syrup for one string consistency and switch off the flame . Nd then add the cashew mixture mixed it nicely and then knead that dough.it came very nicely. got appreciations from in laws

dassana amit

Apr 07, 2016

glad to know thus aishyam 🙂 thankyou for trying them and for your positive comments.

Amritha

Feb 10, 2016

Hi..

I tried and it came out to be a bit dry. It was so hot if i left it got even more dry, so I added milk and then kneaded it. But it didn’t become softer so I rolled it out somewhat and cut it. Now it’s not getting set. I don’t know where I went wrong. Maybe sugar syrup boiled for too long? Can you pls tell me the mistake? Thanks

dassana amit

Feb 11, 2016

its not getting set means the sugar has got under cooked and not to the desired consistency. if it had got over done, then it would have set. hope this helps.

Amritha

Feb 17, 2016

Ok. Or is it due to extra milk or ghee? Can you also tell me why it got dry after getting out of stove?

Thanks again

dassana amit

Feb 17, 2016

amritha you might have over-cooked the mixture or while grinding the cashews might have grounded for a longer time. hope this help’s you.

Chhavi

Feb 08, 2016

Superb recipe…… It came out just perfect…. Once again thank you so much for a lovely recipe!!!

thankyou shraddha have taken your request of strawberry barfi on our file 🙂

Apsara

Nov 28, 2015

I made the kaju kaali after reading this recipe and surprise in the first try itself I got it perfect. Thank you.

dassana amit

Nov 28, 2015

quite pleased to know this apsara and thankyou 🙂

mamta babber

Nov 25, 2015

My hubby gonna b so happy wen he come home … N i made it on very first attempt also…n al credit goes to u…spreading sweetness 🙂

dassana amit

Nov 26, 2015

pleased to know this mamta and thankyou so much 🙂

prashant patil

Oct 23, 2015

thanks, it is very eassy to prepare home made sweets at home, yesterday I go to shop to buy kaju kattli the rate is 250gm rs 180 which is very high , now with the help of this we can prepare goods sweat at home , and try to overcome rate hike

thanks

dassana amit

Oct 23, 2015

welcome prashant making sweets at home is always better as you could maintain the hygiene, control the sweetness and also the cost 🙂 welcome always.

siva

Oct 19, 2015

Helo dasanna First time I tried in house. To our house members great expect it started well & after applying cashew powder it turned to a hard BURFI [ha! Ha!] Later our nephew an old lady told that mine sugar consistency was late maybe 2 3 layers it’s ok. Next time I’m sure I will correct it. Thanks for ur wonderful receipe 🙂 Sivaprakasam

dassana amit

Oct 19, 2015

fine 🙂 next time you can try and thanks.

Swati Sakhardande

Oct 09, 2015

Hello, Can I make Kaju Katli with Milkmaid? Pl send the recipe ASAP. I want to make it tomorrow itself. Thanx n Regards.

dassana amit

Oct 09, 2015

you can make kaju barfi with milkmaid. i do not have a recipe with proportions now. but you can roughly follow the following recipe – add powdered cashews instead of coconut. once done layer the mixture on a greased plate. when cooled slice them. recipe – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/coconut-ladoo-recipe-with-condensed-milk/

Rohit

Oct 09, 2015

My first attempt failed, the mixture was edible but too soft and sticky. It just wouldn’t set and I gave up adding milk powder after the 4th spoon for fear of putting in too much. As you mention this is obviously a dish that needs practice so I will persevere. I managed to get some varak off the internet which made it look professional and the gooey fudge still tasted great so not a total loss. For those interested, apparently the varak these days is chemically manufactured and so is vegetarian without any animal involvement. Dassana, I’m thinking maybe I should grind the cashews with some water next time and reduce amount of water in sugar? I feel the cashew is not dispersing well in the syrup as its too course (so should I try it a bit like the technique in butter masala and perhaps even soak the cashews)?

dassana amit

Oct 09, 2015

this recipe does need some experience of cooking. the sugar just needed to cook more and the softness would have not been there. you can try grinding the cashews with water. soak the cashews before you grind them. and yes add less water to the sugar. i think should work out.

Divya

Aug 16, 2015

Hey Dassana could you let me know, for how long can u store this sweet? Thanks in advance

dassana amit

Aug 16, 2015

welcome divya. it stays good for few weeks in the fridge.

naina

Jun 27, 2015

Hii …I’m excited to try the recipe…can u tel me a replacement to butter paper because I think that we don’t use butter paper often..

Hi, Before I make this, I just would like to know if I can double it to make more servings. And if I do, will it turn out the same way?

Hi

Apr 04, 2015

And also what kind of cashews should I use? Thank you

dassana amit

Apr 04, 2015

use cashews which are neither salted nor roasted.

dassana amit

Apr 04, 2015

you can double the proportions, but then its a lot of handwork and too much stirring and kneading. a reader did double the recipe and it came out good.

Srilatha

Apr 03, 2015

Hi, The sweet came out awesome!! Thank you for the detailed receipe, it made the preparation very easy with not much effort for someone doing it for the first time. However, the dough became a bit hard while I was trying to cool it, had to add some milk to make it soft and it has become a bit more soft than required. Thank you once again for the wonderful receipe.I can now prepare my favourite sweet without bothering to buy it from a shop and hence need not worry about the hygienic conditions where it was prepared.

dassana amit

Apr 03, 2015

thanks a lot srilatha for this great feedback. nice to know. if the dough is not rolled when still hot or warm, then it becomes hard. the softness will go away once you refrigerate the kaju katli.

satya

Apr 01, 2015

Dear Sir,

Can we use milk instead of water for kaju Katli? will it gives richness?

Please reply

dassana amit

Apr 01, 2015

satya, i don’t think so. its a little complicated recipe so can’t say.

Swetha

Mar 11, 2015

Hi Dassana,

Thanks so much for taking so much time and capturing every minute detail. Previously, I have tried preparing this from other sites but never came properly.. Your version I followed blindly and am very happy with the way the sweet turned out.. My daughter and hubby loved it and then I made it second time for my parents and they thought I got it from a shop 🙂 Such was the taste.. Love you so much..

very happy to get nice and simple reciepes already tried ragi dosa and whole wheat orange muffins which were good . my next will be kaju katli. thanks and regards god bless

crazy4sweets

Mar 07, 2015

Hello Dassana

I tried this recipe today and came out to be really nice. However I think it was a little soft & chewy. I have placed the Barfis in the freezer and they solidified a little. I just wanted to know what caused them to be a little soft? I also did the 1 strand test with my syrup and it was fine .. don’t think the syrup was overcooked. Maybe the cashew batter was under cooked? I will highly appreciate your response. Thanks again .. will try more of your dishes.

dassana amit

Mar 08, 2015

thanks for the feedback. kaju katli need three strand consistency in the sugar syrup. its one strand and thats the reason the sugar barfis are soft. i have not kept the string consistency in this recipe as its not easy for many. so kept the recipe at a simple level. but next time when you prepare, try with 3 string consistency.

Archana

Mar 06, 2015

Hi Dassana, I tried this today and had utter disaster. Never had total disasters with your recipes so I have definitely done something wrong.

Here’s what I did….

1 cup cashews… Grinded these carefully .. No oil released.. Even served them to uniform mix. I don’t have much sweets so couldn’t get myself to use 1/2 cup sugar. I used little more than 1/4 cup sugar and 4 tbs water. Mixed the cashew powder in the dissolved sugar the moment it dissolved. Kept stirring for 8mins. This became a paste….. Not exactly a dough. As I removed this to knead, it was all sticky and remained sticky. All my fingers kept getting wrapped in the mix. I applied oil but still sticky. Thought its too wet but I didn’t have milk powder. And in the end, it just wouldn’t knead. Remained sticky so didn’t become a dough no matter how I tried.

What did I do wrong?

Thanks

dassana amit

Mar 06, 2015

hi archana. sorry to know that. but let me tell you indian sweets can be disastrous if not made correctly and in the right proportions. i have had many disasters with some indian sweets. here’s what went wrong. since you used less sugar and this amount of sugar was not proportionate with the amount of cashews used in the recipe. this caused some imbalance in the dish. somewhere the sugar has not come to the right consistency while cooking. hence the stickiness.

Archana

Mar 06, 2015

Hi Dassana, Thank you for responding even on Holi day 🙂 btw, Happy Holi !! Hope you had a wonderful day….

I understand now what went wrong – thank you. So, if I want less sweet; what should I do? I know from all the comments below that I cannot change the sugar (have to use white sugar)…. So what modification would be ok if I want less sweet? Thank you

Btw, my sweet didn’t work out today but I made Methi Missi Roti following your recipe and it’s perfect 🙂 So am having a savory Holi …. 🙂

dassana amit

Mar 07, 2015

welcome archana. hope you also had a good holi. our was also fine. i suggest to use organic unrefined cane sugar or raw sugar. simply because its much much better than white sugar. i have used the same in the recipe. the sweetness is a bit less as compared to regular white sugar. jaggery is another option. but the taste will be completely different and not like kaju katli we are used to having. if you halve the proportion of sugar than you have to halve the cashews too. this won’t work out as what you are looking for is less sugar. another option is to use dates puree. but i really don’t know how its going to work out. and there will be change in the method too.

organic unrefined cane sugar won’t make you feel guilty and one does not feel the sugar rush or high. most indian organic brands have the cane sugar. you should be able to get it in the organic section of superstores and you can also buy online.

Archana

Mar 08, 2015

Great. That helps. I have been using unrefined cane sugar in pretty much everything but thought it had to be white sugar in this as the kaju katli color is white. Unrefined cane sugar turns everything brown though…. How did you retain the white color? I bought more Kajus today so will definitely try.

Thank you

dassana amit

Mar 09, 2015

i don’t use refined sugar at all. the only refined sugar i use is icing sugar for frostings on cakes. if you see the color its not very white like the mithai shop ones. its more creamish. i did not do anything. i think it depends on the color of the cane sugar. the more dark it is the more brown colored the dish will be.

Archana

Mar 11, 2015

Thank you Dassana. The brown sugar I get here is quite brown (am not residing in India) so everything turns brown but am happy as long as I can avoid the white sugar…. So I will sure be having brown Kaju Katli…. Soon.

Best wishes…

dassana amit

Mar 11, 2015

welcome archana. here we get creamish cane sugar. not brown. do try with the sugar that you get there. color is not important, but health is.

Archana

Mar 12, 2015

I do agree 🙂 .. Have a wonderful day…

Gordon

Feb 03, 2016

Reading this comment I realized that you haven’t used the regular white sugar although we tried your recipe using that only and it still came out nice 🙂

But I’d like to try with a healthier substitute, so is this ‘organic unrefined cane sugar’ same as what is known as rock sugar??

And thanks a lot for this, and many more, recipes you’ve shared. Whatever I’ve tried from your blog has always come out fantastic. Culinary art seems to be right up your alley!

dassana amit

Feb 03, 2016

thank you gordon. unrefined cane sugar is not rock sugar. these are fine sugar granules which are not bleached and processed further. they do have some nutrients in them which are not there in processed sugar. i use unrefined cane sugar in all the food i make at home, except for icings on cakes and pastries. you can read some bits here – http://www.naturalorganiclifestyle.com/unrefined-raw-sugar.html

Gordon

Feb 06, 2016

Thanks a lot for this piece of information.. I’d definitely like to try with a healthier substitute

Namaste. I am the chef and author of Veg Recipes of India. I shared, tried & tested Indian as well as world vegetarian recipes in a detailed step by step photos, which will help you to make delicious, tasty and tasty vegetarian food easily. READ MORE